Investigations that stand up to scrutiny.

Investigations that stand up to scrutiny.

When something serious happens, you have one shot at a defensible investigation. Get it right and the organisation learns; get it wrong and the same incident repeats — sometimes worse. HSES brings 27 years of investigation experience to every engagement, anchored in the discipline of formal police investigation work.

Independent ICAM investigations

The Incident Cause Analysis Method (ICAM) is the leading investigation methodology in Australian mining, oil & gas, construction and heavy industry. It is structured, evidence-based and designed to surface the systemic causes behind an event — not just the proximate human action.

HSES delivers independent ICAM investigations for:

• High-potential incidents (HPIs) where the actual outcome was minor but the potential was severe.
• Notifiable incidents requiring formal reporting to DMIRS or WorkSafe WA.
• Serious injuries requiring medical treatment, hospitalisation or LTI classification.
• Fatalities (where independence from internal management is critical).
• Process safety events at major hazard facilities.
• Environmental incidents with potential regulatory consequence.
• Repeat events where prior investigations have failed to prevent recurrence.

Why operators engage external investigators

Internal investigators are often capable, but sometimes structurally compromised. They report to the same managers whose decisions are under examination. They may be friends with witnesses. They may carry preconceptions about what happened. They may be inadvertently coached.

External ICAM investigators bring three things internal teams cannot: distance, discipline and credibility. Distance from the operational politics. Discipline drawn from formal investigation training. Credibility with regulators, insurers and (in serious cases) the courts.

Our ICAM investigation methodology

Phase 1 — Preservation & scene management. Where we are engaged early, we work with site management to preserve physical evidence, secure the scene, document conditions, and protect witnesses from inadvertent contamination of recall.

Phase 2 — Evidence collection. Witness interviews using cognitive interview technique, document and data collection, technical inspection, and timeline reconstruction. Every piece of evidence is logged with chain-of-custody discipline.

Phase 3 — Analysis. ICAM analysis using the standard tools — Absent/Failed Defences, Individual/Team Actions, Task/Environmental Conditions, Organisational Factors. We resist the temptation to land on a comfortable explanation.

Phase 4 — Findings & recommendations. Written report with clear, traceable findings. Recommendations sequenced by risk and feasibility. Where appropriate, we propose interim controls that can be implemented within days while longer-term recommendations are evaluated.

Phase 5 — Close-out & verification. Walk-through with senior management, optional briefing to your board or regulator, and (where engaged) verification that recommendations have been implemented effectively.

ICAM Lead Investigator Training

We deliver the ICAM Lead Investigator course on-site or in Perth. Course content includes:

• Investigation fundamentals and legal context.
• Scene preservation and evidence handling.
• Witness interview technique (cognitive interview model).
• ICAM analysis tools — defences, actions, conditions, organisational factors.
• Report writing for regulators, courts and boards.
• Practical exercises using real (de-identified) case studies.

The course is suitable for safety professionals, supervisors, HR managers and operational leaders who may be asked to lead or co-lead investigations. We deliver in cohorts of up to 12 participants for maximum hands-on practice.

Other investigation methodologies

While ICAM is our default, we are also experienced in TapRoot, 5-Whys, Fault Tree Analysis and Sequence of Events analysis. We will recommend the methodology that fits the event — not force every incident through one tool.